Caring for God’s Household

“…an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil…”

God has a plan for believers. Part of His plan is that men who have demonstrated fruit in all areas of their lives should care for God’s Household.

Doesn’t that make sense? If you want to learn a skill, you should learn it from someone who has mastered that skill. If you’re sick, you should go to one who has demonstrated expertise in caring for the human body. Likewise, God wants those who oversee the care of His Body to have demonstrated expertise in overseeing their own lives and caring for their families. There is safety in this model. This is wise.

God wants the best for His children. Thus, as believers, we should only give the privilege of caring for our souls to someone who has earned it. Otherwise, we are in grave danger. Would you entrust something as important as the Body of Christ, the souls of all believers, to an unproven amateur?

God’s design for oversight of His Household is not followed very often in modern religious circles. People go against God’s wise plan and hire people to be overseers based all kinds of unbiblical criteria, such as physical appearance, charisma, youthfulness, salesmanship skills, academic pedigree and ability to grow a business. If we choose to abdicate our responsibility in this way, we are putting in a place a system that will lead to failure. We are bypassing God’s wisdom with something that we think is better. Let’s not be so foolish.

Instead, let’s wisely heed the guidance that God has provided to us. Let’s look for older believers who have demonstrated godly fruit in all ares of their lives. Jesus said: “You will know them by their fruits” and “every good tree bears good fruit.” Let’s follow the Master’s advice when we evaluate and recognize those who will serve as examples to God’s Household. If we follow God’s design, He will do more than we can ask or think.